The Waimate Trail – Te Ara Waimatemate
Walk, run or cycle The Waimate Trail
A spectacular new walking and cycling trail is taking shape in Waimate.
The first 13km stage of The Waimate Trail - Te Ara Waimatemate is expected to open before the end of 2026.
While it will eventually form part of a 67km loop, this first section to Waihao Forks is a destination in its own right, thanks in part to local farming families opening their land to the trail.
Designed by one of New Zealand’s
leading trail builders
Master Trail Builder Hamish Seaton has worked on the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, the Old Ghost Road, Paparoa Track and Lake Dunstan Trail.
The old rail trail winds alongside Studholme Bush Scenic Reserve, an important remnant of native forest alive with birds, including korimako (bellbird), tūī and kererū.
Waimate began as a sawmilling settlement, its mighty tōtara providing timber for the region. By 1877, five mills operated in the gorge, before a devastating bush fire ended the industry the following year.
Kapua was the site of the largest
find of moa bones in the country.
The trail follows the old railway through Kapua, site of the country’s largest find of moa bones. Drawn to the area’s natural springs, moa gathered here in such numbers that railway wagonloads of bones were removed during excavations in the 1890s.
Approaching the Waihao River, the trail enters dramatic limestone country, weaving through and around towering formations - likely to be one of the most memorable sections of the ride.
Ted’s unopened bottle waits for him to
return from the Second World War
The historic Waihao Forks Hotel is home to Ted’s Bottle, left behind the bar for local farmer Ted d’Auvergne when he departed for the Second World War in 1939. Ted boarded the train at Waihao Forks, travelling the same railway the trail now follows, promising to drink the beer when he returned.
He never did. Ted died from wounds received in Crete in 1941, and more than 85 years later his unopened bottle remains behind the bar as a moving war memorial.
Ghost-like moa and giant murals
will bring the trail to life
Artworks and sculptures are also being developed along the route. Large-scale murals, stone carvings, ghost-like moa and interpretation panels will bring its ecology, history and communities to life, adding another layer to the journey.
There are plenty of other tracks and trails in this motor home friendly town, or wander into town for cafés, secondhand and vintage stores, the art gallery and museum - and you definitely won’t miss Waimate’s giant painted silos. Bring the bikes, walking shoes and allow yourself a little longer than you planned.
Before you head out
Public toilets are available in Waimate. Parts of The Waimate Trail cross working farms and private land, so please stay on the trail and follow all signs, including restrictions on dogs, horses, motorbikes and vehicles.
When Stage One opens in full, you’ll be able to walk or cycle all the way from Waimate to Waihao Forks – where a country pub lunch and the story of Ted d’Auvergne’s famous bottle await. Which seems a rather good reward for getting there under your own steam.
The Waimate Trail is being developed in three stages. The map above shows the full planned route, with Stage One – from Waimate to Waihao Forks – marked in orange.
